Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-01-29
WHY TIT uoLORED VOTE Is SOL
IDLY REPUBLICAN.

Bracket, of Storer College, Har-
per's Ferry. He says: The color
ed vote, when unrestrained, is usu-
ally solid and Republican, and he
goes on to repel the charge, SO often
made in the south, that this solidity
is kept up through the machinations
of local leaders. 'sThe truth is, says
he STEW people have been more free
from local leadership, so far as par
ty is concerned" Then follows his
reasons why this vote is solidly Re-
publican, in these words THAT
this devotion to the party arises from
a comprehensive adoption ofits prin-
ciples, or that it indicates universal
gratitude for freedom and enfran-
chisement, / do not claim.
But with the great mass of unedu-
Gated colored people, it is mainly a
race instinct, or prejudice. II is
stronger than party ties. 1t is
the colored mans party
Now while there may be and
doubtless are grains of truth in the
Professors conclusions, we think it
unjust to the race to drop the dis.
cussion at the point he does. without
giving some reasons for what he is
pleased to denominate race instinct
on prejudice. We maintain that this
very solidity of which he speaks
the Negro relation to political par
ties-has ever been an abnormal re-
lation. 1t had not it's growth in
mature reflection as is supposed to be
the case with other acccssions to our
voting power. Accidentally freed
by the arbitrament of long aad
bloody civil war waged, not for his
freedom, but for the perpetuity OF
the Union, q war in which he acted
no mean part; when peace was pro-
claimed and the time for reconstruc-
ton and Acknowledgement arrived, as
was to be expected, he was found on
the side of the Republican party, for
the reason that upon that side were
to be found all of the old champions
of freedom of ante-bellum days, and
he wanted to be in good company.
He owed no debt of gratitude to any
party, for freedom and enfranchise-
ment, as the Professor would have
us believe. All of this he had doub-
~ paid in advance, for two hundred
thousand brave sons of the race had
gone forth with musket in hand to
save to the Nation what it denied to
them-liberty. These gave their
lives in defense of a constitution
which recognized them only as chat
Is, and followed through the din
and smoke of battle flag which af-
forded them protection neither at
home nor abroad.
Having helped this party to save
the Union and to establish itself in
power, he of course expected, in re-
| turn, its protection in the exercise
of his newly acquired rights. His
| expectations were only in part real
| lied. Little did he suppose that in
| the then near future his side of the
polite wheel would become the under
side, and that the same would then
| cease to revolve that at this time
the southern Republicans, those very
same local leaders which the Profess
sor would have us believe we're mere
| myths, would be DESTROYS, above all
things, to see this color question out
of politics. But for this class which
has been kept in power through their
solid vote, by a restraint often more
potent than force, 1.-THE restraint Of
fear that the Democratic party if
allowed to return TO power would
re-en slave them, and the division Of
this vote which the Professor hints
at, as the one solution of the race
question might have ere this been an
accomplished fact. Never would
this admission been made had not
the present administration demon
strated the fallacy of the argument
of those local white leaders that the
annulment of the amendments to the
constitution would follow the Access
sion of the Democratic party to
power. But the Professor further
says: / do not think the devotion of
colored voters to the Republican par
ty compares with that of the Irish
to the Democratic party during the
last forty years. This We deny, We